Talon

Oh gosh, I hope this recent tornado is far from you.... As for Elliott, it has been only 2 weeks. Since you are the care giver, it may take longer for him to warm up to you. He already knows you will care for him, so he doesn't have to earn your love...you've given it to him in the way you respect him to move on his own terms. I think that in his own way, he is building a bond, testing you to see if you will continue to not push yourself on him. I believe the shock of his new home, surroundings, cage, toys, new foods, new voices, humans and sound is still a shock to him being his true self. Remember, he doesn't know this is his forever home, he may be waiting to interact with you the caregiver until he understands this is his family forever,and that can take a long time.

Greydane, I do not agree with what some believe...that if you clip their wings before they have learned to fly, that they will have problems flying down the road. ALl 3 of my birds (2 greys and amazon were clipped before they came to me. My tag was just clipped at 10 weeks when I got her, my cag at 2 1/2 years all her life up until I got her, and my amazon until 6 months. All 3 learned to fly, my amazon needed to be worked with. The others learned on their own and are unbelievably good flyers. To see the 3 of them yelling and flying thru the house having a blast is an incredible sight. Y=I wiuldnt worry about your bird coming to you clipped. All will be fine when they are ready and able to fly.

Me too!....... Judy is a HUGE part of this forum. I am so happy she is the biggest poster!

Great decision !

Wow! I would snatch them just because they obviously are being treated poorly in my opinion. That being said.... having a bird in your house for a week or so won't give you any clue as to how they will behave or act towards you. An adult gRey with baggage from being mistreated can take yeas to acclimate, trust and bond with you if they ever do. My grey came with no abuse, but I was her 4th home and it took her 2 and a half years to settle into her true self with us. Personally, I think you need to learn more about the personality of a grey, how they behave, how they react, and how to handle a rescue as that is what you are looking at. They require patience, tolerance, lots of tlc, lots of love and an understanding of how they view us humans based on their past experiences. My advice is to do much more research as your expectations are far fetched in what you are looking for in a grey. Just my opinion is all, I am sure you will do as you please, but please take the time to understand what you are getting yourself into....sounds like a rough road ahead, but one that will be worth it of you have all the patience and open mildness that is required. Please keep us posted on your decision, we are here to help.

Aww. what a nice loving story. Glad all is ok with your om.

Everyone has given you great advice. I do have to sat though..I have 2 greys, and my cag is a cuddler but only on her terms. I dont believe any grey is the right choice if you are looking for a true cuddler....birds (excepts cockatoo's) aren't like cats or dogs in that sense.

Thank you Ray for sharing Willie and his story with us. I was anxious to finally hear it and meet him . He has just been appointed Mascot of the Cockatiel Room! It's a wonderful happy ending for Willie. What a lucky bird he is to have found you two. He sure is a beauty!!

That was pretty cool! Thanks for sharing.

That was great! Thanks for sharing.

He's pretty! Tell us more about him.......please?????l pretty please...

Hmmmm a Joke room??? that's a thought.....wonder if Jooles would be a moderator? Would she keep us laughing every day??

What beauties!! I'm happy to have seen them. They look great!

Thats wonderful news! Please let us know how the appt. goes on Sat.

Thank you Dan, not much else to say, that picture says it all. My thoughts and prayers to all who fought for us so we can enjoy the freedom we have, , but it does come at a very high price for many. May we remember each and every day, not just today.

Oh my, I just saw you are from Oklahoma! How did you do in that horrific tornado?

Truth be told, my birds sometimes get fruit 3 times a week....

Great ideas Wingy, it is springtime and they do get hormones and act up....my 3 sure have been! A friend once said, isnt it worth all the destructin for the love you receive back from them? Wood and things can be replaced, but the love and beautiful memories they gve us can't ever be replaced. Looking back, what would you cherish, a destroyed house and things, or memories of a sweet bird named Kiki who doesn't understand that she is doing wrong, as she can't see thru human eyes....it's her nature to seek and destroy, you can't take that instinct away from her. You can try and channel it in other ways. When my Rikki had me in tears for her destruction, it seemed the more angry, sad and upset I got, the more she did it. I had to finally realize I had to calm down and relax and not make such a fuss, she saw that after a while and then she too calmed down. I used a lot of boxes for her to destroy, I put them on top of my kitchen cabinets and that kept her distracted from other things. Phone books in her cage also helped. Oh, and baskets are a huge hit with Nilah my amazon....

Wow Ray. I didn't realize that Willie was so old......22 years is fantastic! Why don't you lost more about him, I would love to hear your experiences with him....and some,pics please... <3

Now that looks like a fun toy!

Oohhhh.......well I can't be objective. Mi don't believe in rehoming because of destruction. I understand your feelings, I went thru the same thoughts when I had Rikki, she was destroying every piece of wood in my new beautiful house. I put deterrents everywhere, bought her lots of wood to chew, and put her on a schedule of cage time for several hours during the day while I worked at home. Gave her more open me attention when I could, and she finally settled in . It had been my experience, that just as you are at your whits end and can't take another minute, things start to slowly turn around....I spent many a day in tears over her destruction. Please don't make a hasty decision, is there any way to work things out with your son? He will never forgive you....I worry, and I worry about the well being of Kiki . This was supposed to be her forever home...? No?

Of course my birds love to forage in a plate of salad......but that can be more expensive than Timothy hay, which might be a great idea! The hay I mean...

Hmm. I wonder about the kitty clay litter, not sure that would be good for foraging. Maybe others will chime in about that.

Nilah, Talon, Rikki, Piper. And YES they all know their names and which name goes to which parrot. I can call them by their name and ask them where they are, and they will reply back with a whistle or word or my name...BIRD as they call me.

Omg, I just saw why Roger has no wing. The poor thing.....I HATE how cruel people can be....I am so happy he is with you and you have had him so long. I wonder what having a bird for 28 years is like. Mine 2 are 7 1/2 years and 4 years. I look forward to hearing more about your experiences with Roger as well.